Amusement device.



11'. HERTZBERG & M. J. WOHL.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE; APPLICATION FILED 001. 30, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFF'roE.

nanny nnn'rzsnae AND mansion J. wonn, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEMENT msvrcn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented DecQZO, 1910.

Application filed October 30, 1909. Serial No. 525,534. I

To whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that we, HARR; Hnnrzennc and MAURICE J. WOHL, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively,-

useful Improvementsin Amusement Devices,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement dcvices and has for its object the provision of a device in which passengers carried in a car which is electrically propelled and ar* ranged to travel over a floor under the guidance of a passenger and in which the progress of the car dependsupon the skill with which the same is guided.

In carrying out the invention a level floor or platfgrm is fprmed andprovided with arallelponductors having their exposed aces flush with the surface of the platform and forming therewith a continuous surface over which a car may travel. I

A car is provided and arranged to carry one or more passengers and is supplied with a low voltage motor taking itscurrent from the wheels of the car as the same pass over the conducting strips on the platform.

In the drawings like parts in the several views have been given the same reference numerals.

- Figure 1 is a plan view. or" the platform upon Twhich the cars are operated. ;F1g. 2 is a side elevation of one of the cars. Fig. 3

' Fig. 4; is an enlarged sectionview of a portion of the platform, showing the conducting strips in lace and two of the wheels in contact therewith. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the platform, showing'the conducting strips with two of the wheels of car in contact with the strips and also two wheels of another car out of contact. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the motor operating circuit.

At 1.,is shown the platform which may beconstructed of wood or other material having suit able insulating properties for ,the

low. voltage circuit used in operating the 1 cars. Qonducting strips, such as 2 and 3,

are arranged parallel to one another and extending in changing directions over the surface of the platform 1. These strips are placed an equal distance apart and are set into the platform l-so that their upper surfaces are flush with the upper surface of the platform. The up er surface of the conducting strips may be somewhat wider than the car wheels 4 and 5 so as to allowv some latitude in guiding the car over the same. This construction is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Current is supplied to the conducting strips from a motor 6 through the bus bars 7 and 8. A motor switch 9 1s proyided. todisconmeet the conducting strips when desired.

It will be noted that the strips are alternatly connected to the positive and nega tive side of the supply circuitand as the strips are spaced an equal distance apart corresponding to the distance between genters of the car wheels, the current will be strips.

A central dividing wall 10 may be provided in the platform 1 to prevent the cars from crossing directly from one side to the other of the same. A landing platform 11 may be provided from which the passengers enter and leave the cars. vi

' The car 12 is provided with a low voltage series-wound motor 13. The rear wheels of the car 12 areprovided with metal tires 14 and15, which are preferably insulated from the wheels and car, from which the current is taken through the brushes 16 and 17 and the regulating resistances 18 and-19 to the motor 13. w

A condenser 20 is connected across the motor supply circuit, as shown in Fig. 6a The object of this condenser is to prevent the spark-when the circuit is broken by the wheels leaving the contact strips. 1

The front wheels of the car, 21 and 22, are

preferably insulated from the car and are arranged to be turned by. means of a hand wheel 23 for steering the car in the usual manner. f

Inoperation, after the passengers have entered the car the-same is pushed by an attendant andguided by one of the passengers until the rear wheels engage the contact strips. As soon as this contact is made, the circuit is completed through the motor and the car is driven thereby as long as the operator follows the contact strips, but on account'of the sharp turns provided it will be seen that thiswill'require some dexterous and skilful management.- Should thelcar supplied to the car when the wheels are in 3 contact with any two adjacent conducting leave the contact strips it will continue undcr the momentum acquired and will soon en age other strips when a'sudden impulse wil be given by the connection of the motor in the circuit. If the dperator on the car desires, he may continuecrossing and recrossing various cmtactstrips, resulting in alternately slowing down and suddenly starting up of the car. If the operator is not skiful in guiding the'car the same will be propelled, nevertheless, with varying starting impulses as the wheels cross the contact strips.

It will thusbe seen that a novel form of amusement device is provided in which many interesting results can be obtained by a kilful operator and various amusingresuits by an unskilful 0 erator, which is the object sought to be obtained in this device.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of our invention designed without departing from the scope ofthe appended claims, weintend that all matter containedv in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as an operative embodiment of our. invention and not in alimiting'sense.

What we claim is:

l. In a device of the character described,

in -combination, a platform provided with conductors extending in irregular directions and having exposed faces flush with the surface of said platform, and a car provided with an electric motor adapted to, receive its operatin current from said conductors and to prope the car over said platform.

2. In a device of the character described,'

in combination, a platform provided with a plurality of pairs of conductors extending in, irregular directions and I equally 'spaced thereon and adapted to permita car to be propelled thereon in any direction", and

' conductors positioned in angularly extenda car provided with'an electric motor adapted to receive. its operating current from pro- 3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with a plurality of equally spaced conductors extending in irregula r directions and alternately connected to the positiveand negative side of a supply circuit, a supply circuit, and

.adapted to permit a car to be propelled thereon in any direction, and a car proyided with an electric motor adapted to receive its operating current from any two adjacent conductors and to propel the car over said platform. ,4. In a device of the character described, in. combination, a platform provided with ing straight lines with sharp turns between the straight portions, and a car provided with an electric motor adapted to receive its operating current from said conductors and to propel the car over said platform.

5. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a platform adapted to permit a car to travel in irregular directions thereover and provided withparallel conductors, and a car provided with an electric motor adapted to receive its operating cur rent from said conductors and to propel the car over said platform.

- (3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with -conductors in changing directions and ex tendin in a continuous circuit over the surface of the platform, and a car provided with an electric motor adapted to receive its operatin current from said conductors and to props the car over said platform.- 7

7. In a device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with conductors extending in changing directions thereover and forming a part of the surface of said platform over which a car may travel, and a car provided with an electric motor adapted to receive its operating current from said conductors and to propel the car over said platform. J

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with conductors extending in changing'directions the'reover and forming a part of the surface of said platform over which a car may travel, each conductor being wider than the an electric motor adapted to receive its operating current from said conductors and to propel the car over said platform. H

9. In a device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with conductors, and a car having a pair of Wheels provided with conducting tires insulated therefrom, said car being also provided with a motor electrically connected to said tires and arranged to receiveits operating current from said conductors to propel the car ,over said platform.

-10. Ina device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with conductorsiand a. car having a pair of wheels provided with conducting tires insulated therefrom, said car being also provided with a motorelectrically connected to said tires throu h a. pair of contact brushes and arran e to receive its operating current from sai conductors to propel the car over. said platform. t

11. Ina device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with conductors, and a car having steering wheels insulated therefrom and also having a pair sulated therefrom, said car being also rovided with a motor electrically connecte to said'tires and arranged to receive its"operof wheels provided with conducting tires inating current from said conductors to propel the car over said platform. 12 In a device of the character-described,

in combination, a platform provided with conductors, a car provided with a motor electrically connected to a pair ofthefl. wheels of the car and arranged to receive its operating current from said'condn'ctors to propel the car over said. platform, and a condenser connected across the motor circuit.

13, In a device of the character described, in combination, a platform provided with conductors, a car provided with amotorelecl trically-connected to a pair of the wheels of the ear and arranged to receive its operating current. from said conductors to iropel the "car over said platforn1,-aiid a condenser connected across the motor circuit between said I wheels and the motor. 0 14. In a device of the character described,-

in combination, a fiat platform constructed of an insulating material for low voltage and provided with a numbcr of conductors positioned therein and extending thereovcr in changing directions each with an exposed flatface flushwith the surface of said platform and forming therewith a continuous fiat surface over which a car may travehnncl a car provided With-an electric motor adapted to receive its operating currentfrom said conductors and to propel the car orer -said platform.

Signed at Brooklyn, N. Y. city, in the county of Kings and State of New York, this llda-y of October, 1909.

. HARRY HERTZBERG. MAURICE J. \VOI-IL. \Viti'iesses F. L. 0001;, H. C. (Jzmsmn. 

